Pits are found in many factories and repair shops to contain machinery. Often the pit is defined by a foundation that provides support and a rigid platform to secure the machinery to. There are numerous types of equipment that will typically include a section below shop floor or ground level. Often, these sections include foundations or pits that the machinery is secured to. Some examples of machinery include turntables, car hoists, truck hoists, drop tables and other machinery. For example see application Ser. Nos. 13/804,886, 13/826,001, 14/085,489, 14/139,163 and 14/267,217, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, for examples of some types of rail shop equipment.
The size of the pit is determined by a number of factors. One of these factors includes the amount of machinery or structure that needs to be contained within the pit due to the particular requirements of the lifting device. In some cases, the lifting device will include fixed rails and moving supports that contact a rail car body. In this case, the fixed rails need to be properly supported. Thus, many pits will include a support structure therein. This support structure takes up space in the pit and thus, in order to accommodate the machinery, motors, gearboxes etc. associated with the machinery, the pit needs to be large enough to accommodate both the machinery and the fixed rails.
In addition, installation and removal of the pit cover is often a difficult task. Often, the pit cover is made on-site out of sheet metal and is cut and fit to the foundation such that the pit cover aligns properly to cover the pit. Often, the fitting of the pit cover to the pit makes the initial installation a difficult and time consuming process. In addition, because the tolerances for how the pit cover is aligned with the pit are not controlled by computer controlled machinery, removal and re-installation of the pit cover after repair of the machinery is often a difficult task.
Further, many pit covers include a threaded hole in the sheet metal for attaching anchors to the pit cover. These anchors allow for the connection of chains, lifting straps and the like to the pit cover so that the pit cover can be removed. Often, the thickness of the pit cover means that very few threads engage the anchor. Therefore, over time, the threaded hole can become worn, causing a safety concern.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved pit cover that may do one or more of: eliminate or reduce the fixed rail support structure inside the pit and provide better tolerances and guides for installation, removal and re-installation of pit covers and provide safer connections between lifting devices and pit covers for improved safety.